Kapiti Retirement Trust garden showing a blooming success

Kapiti Retirement Trust Midlands Gardens Flower Show organiser Hallam Cresswell wearing his flower hat. Photo / Rosalie Willis

An impressive display of flowers greeted Kapiti Retirement Trust residents as they entered the hall of Midlands Gardens last week.

The Kapiti Retirement Trust Midlands Gardens Flower Show was in full bloom as around a hundred entries were on display including hanging baskets, cut flowers, pot plants, homemade jams or pickles, floral art, fruit, vegetables and herbs.

The show also included two additional categories, vegetable garden allotments, garden street appeal and also included a wearable hat competition.

Colourful flowers grown by Kapiti Retirement Trust residents. Photo / Rosalie Willis

Piled high on top of the head of show organiser, Hallam Cresswell rather reluctantly shows off his flower-covered hat when Kāpiti News visits.

It's his first time in charge of organising the show alongside a number of other residents.

"It's all come together.

"The residents and staff have been great."

In its fifth year this year, the show has around 100 entrants with Reta Ewen winning best of show with her velvet red hippeastrum.

The flowers were judged by Julian Chadwick with Gus Evans judging the vegetable allotments, Cheryl Morris judging the Midlands Gardens street appeal, Murry Bridges judging the Sevenoaks street appeal and Jenny Rowan judging the hats.

Best in the show went to Reta Ewens for this stunning, red hippeastrum. Photo / Rosalie Willis

"The residents do so well," Kapiti Retirement Trust chief executive Wendy Houston said.

"The idea is that the residents do all the fun things - the growing and looking after their plants and when it gets to the day, our grounds manager Kevin Prichard and his team do all the setting up for them.

"They look after all the set up including organising the stands, collecting the plants and arranging the judging."

"It's a lot of fun for the whole day," Kevin said.

The day included a raffle, buy and sell table and refreshments, along with a presentation for winners and wearable hat show in the afternoon.

All proceeds from the event went to the Wellington Free Ambulance, a charity which the residents know the value of first hand.

"I wouldn't say they're here every day … but we see their work and chose to donate the proceeds to the Wellington Free Ambulance," Hallam said.

Ken Coad's bonsai plants. Photo / Rosalie Willis

Also able to display his work is resident Ken Coad who has an impressive array of bonsai plants.

While there was no category for him to enter because he is the only one producing bonsai plants, he was able to add them to the display to the delight of residents and staff.

"Bonsai has been his thing so when he moved into the village, he brought them with him and set them up in a layered pebbled garden," Wendy said.

"It's very impressive."